Deliverance from the Philistines

1 And the men° of Kiriath-jearim° came° and took° the ark° of the LORD° and abrought° it into the house° of Abinadab° on the hill°, and consecrated° Eleazar° his son° to keep° the ark° of the LORD°.
2 From the day° that the ark° remained° at Kiriath-jearim°, the time° was long°, for it was twenty° years°; and all° the house° of Israel° lamented° after° the LORD°.

3 ¶ Then Samuel° spoke° to all° the house° of Israel°, saying°, “aIf° you return° to the LORD° with all° your heart°, bremove° the foreign° gods° and the cAshtaroth° from among° you and ddirect° your hearts° to the LORD° and eserve° Him alone°; and He will deliver° you from the hand° of the Philistines°.”
4 So the sons° of Israel° removed° the Baals° and the Ashtaroth° and served° the LORD° alone°.

5 ¶ Then Samuel° said°, “Gather° all° Israel° to aMizpah° and bI will pray° to the LORD° for you.”
6 They gathered° to Mizpah°, and drew° water° and apoured° it out before° the LORD°, and bfasted° on that day° and said° there°, “cWe have sinned° against the LORD°.” And Samuel° judged° the sons° of Israel° at Mizpah°.

7 ¶ Now when the Philistines° heard° that the sons° of Israel° had gathered° to Mizpah°, the lords° of the Philistines° went° up against° Israel°. And when the sons° of Israel° heard° it, athey were afraid° of the Philistines°.
8 Then the sons° of Israel° said° to Samuel°, “aDo not cease° to cry° to the LORD° our God° for us, that He may save° us from the hand° of the Philistines°.”
9 Samuel° took°aa suckling° lamb° and offered° it for a whole° burnt° offering° to the LORD°; and Samuel° cried° to the LORD° for Israel° and bthe LORD° answered° him.
10 Now Samuel° was offering° up the burnt° offering°, and the Philistines° drew° near° to battle° against Israel°. But athe LORD° thundered° with a great°Ithunder° on that day° against° the Philistines° and bconfused° them, so that they were IIrouted° before° Israel°.
11 The men° of Israel° went° out of Mizpah° and pursued° the Philistines°, and struck° them down° as far° as below°° Beth-car°.

12 ¶ Then Samuel°atook° a stone° and set° it between° Mizpah° and Shen°, and named°° it IEbenezer°, saying°, “Thus° far° the LORD° has helped° us.”
13aSo the Philistines° were subdued° and bthey did° not come° anymore° within the border° of Israel°. And the hand° of the LORD° was against the Philistines° all° the days° of Samuel°.
14 The cities° which° the Philistines° had taken° from Israel° were restored° to Israel°, from Ekron° even to Gath°; and Israel° delivered° their territory° from the hand° of the Philistines°. So there was peace° between° Israel° and athe Amorites°.

Samuel’s Ministry

15 ¶ Now Samuel°ajudged° Israel° all° the days° of his life°.
16 He used to go° annually°° on circuit° to aBethel° and bGilgal° and cMizpah°, and he judged° Israel° in all° these° places°.
17 Then his return° [was] to aRamah°, for his house° [was] there°, and there° he judged° Israel°; and he bbuilt° there° an altar° to the LORD°.

They of Kirjath-Jearim bring the Ark into the house of Abinadab, and sanctify Eleazar his son to keep it.

1 ¶ And the men¹² of Kirjathjearimº came,ºª and fetched upºª² the arkº of the LORD,º and broughtºª it into² the houseº of Abinadabº in the hill,º and sanctifiedºª Eleazarº his sonº to keepºª² the arkº of the LORD.º

the Israelites, by Samuel's means, solemnly repent at Mizpeh.

3 ¶ And Samuelº spakeºª unto² all² the houseº of Israel,º saying,ºª If² ye² do returnºª unto² the LORDº with all² your hearts,º [then] put awayºª² the strangeº godsº and Ashtarothº from amongº² you, and prepareºª your heartsº unto² the LORD,º and serveºª him only:² and he will deliverºª you out of the handº² of the Philistines.º4 Then the childrenº of Israelº did put awayºª² Baalimº and Ashtaroth,º and servedºª² the LORDº only.²5 And Samuelº said,ºª Gatherºª² all² Israelº to Mizpeh,¹² and I will prayºª for² you unto² the LORD.º6 And they gathered togetherºª to Mizpeh,º and drewºª water,º and poured [it] outºª beforeº the LORD,º and fastedºª on that² day,º and saidºª there,² We have sinnedºª against the LORD.º And Samuelº judgedºª² the childrenº of Israelº in Mizpeh.¹²7 And when the Philistinesº heardºª that² the childrenº of Israelº were gathered togetherºª to Mizpeh,¹² the lordsº of the Philistinesº went upºª against² Israel.º And when the childrenº of Israelº heardºª [it], they were afraidºª ofº² the Philistines.º8 And the childrenº of Israelº saidºª to² Samuel,º Ceaseºª not² to cryºª² unto² the LORDº our Godº for² us, that he will saveºª us out of the handº² of the Philistines.º

While Samuel prayeth and sacrificeth, the LORD discomfiteth the Philistines by thunder at Eben-ezer.

9 ¶ And Samuelº tookºª aº suckingº lamb,º and offeredºª [it for] a burnt offeringº whollyº unto the LORD:º and Samuelº criedºª unto² the LORDº for² Israel;º and the LORDº heardºª him. 10 And as Samuelº was² offering upºª the burnt offering,º the Philistinesº drew nearºª to battleº against Israel:º but the LORDº thunderedºª with a greatº thunderº on that² dayº upon² the Philistines,º and discomfitedºª them; and they were smittenºª beforeº Israel.º11 And the men¹² of Israelº went outºª of² Mizpeh,º and pursuedºª² the Philistines,º and smoteºª them, until² [they came] under²² Bethcar.º12 Then Samuelº tookºª aº stone,º and setºª [it] between² Mizpehº and Shen,º and calledºª² the nameº of it Ebenezer,º saying,ºª Hitherto²² hath the LORDº helpedºª us.

The Philistines are subdued.

13 ¶ So the Philistinesº were subdued,ºª and they cameºª no² moreºª² into the coastº of Israel:º and the handº of the LORDº was² against the Philistinesº all² the daysº of Samuel.º14 And the citiesº which² the Philistinesº had takenºª from²² Israelº were restoredºª to Israel,º from Ekronº² even unto² Gath;º and the coastsº thereof did Israelº deliverºª out of the handsº² of the Philistines.º And there was² peaceº between² Israelº and the Amorites.º

Samuel peaceably and religiously judgeth Israel.

15 And Samuelº judgedºª² Israelº all² the daysº of his life.º16 And he wentºª fromº² yearº to yearº in circuitºª to Bethel,º and Gilgal,º and Mizpeh,º and judgedºª² Israelº in² all² those² places.º17 And his returnº [was] to Ramah;º for² there² [was] his house;º and there² he judgedºª² Israel;º and there² he builtºª an altarº unto the LORD.º